I DID IT! YAHOOOOOOOO!

Today I am thankful for FINALLY getting my license! Yup that is right. I am 31 years old and I just got around to doing this. Its a long drawn out story as to why, and that part doesn't matter. What does matter is that I DID IT! I passed my road test on Tuesday and I have never ever in all my life felt such FREEDOM! Claire and I can do whatever we want, whenever we want. It is absolutely delicious!

I Hit a Wall and my Husband Put Me Back Together...

This week I am thankful for my husband, yet again. Claire was a wreck last week, and my mood took a DIVE for the worst. When I don't sleep my postpartum depression spirals out of control. I was up until 1am for several nights in a row with anxiety and was a wreck most of the time. Last Monday my husband put Claire down for a nap, ordered me to bed to rest, brought me a sandwich and a cup of tea. When I was done my snack he handed me an eye mask and earplugs and told me to nap. Geeeeeeee, uhm not going to argue with that logic!

 Thank God for my man. Every woman/mother should have a Ryan in their back pocket.

PS: On an UBER plus note....Claire is sleeping better now! A sleep post coming soon!

Thankful Thursday: Farmers Markets!

As we get deeper and deeper into fall I thought I would share one of my favorite memories of this past summer with you all, my first trip to the Trout Lake Farmers Market with my Claire Bear. For the Tomato Festival no less! I lovvvvvvve Farmers Markets, my father-in-law says they should pay me a premium I talk about them so much I am a walking billboard. LOL! They really should. I love supporting local farmers and eating fresh, local, organic food that is in season. That and the market just makes for GREAT people watching! Here are some pictures from that day:

Mmmmmmmmmmmm root vegetables! NOM

So many new and exciting varieties of heirloom tomato's!

 Such bright and vibrant colors! You know you are eating right when there is a rainbow on your plate

Carrots so fresh from the ground there is still dirt on them

Heirloom tomato's in all their glory, beautiful in their imperfections

This little boy was helping his mommy out at her market booth, his job was to say "Hi" to every customer. He took it VERY seriously

FOOD TRUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOM NOM NOM! Korean fusion tacos!

Claire and I had so much fun but eventually it was time to go home for our nap

And while we napped, Daddy made me a tomato FEAST! Such a great summer memory :)

Thankful Thursday: Mmmmmm Soy Ice Cream Bars!

 Because Gratitude is the Best Attitude...

Somedays you are just thankful for simple little things...like a tasty treat that can brighten an otherwise crappy day. Claire doesn't do well if I eat too much dairy, lets just say her diapers aren't pretty! So I have given up my beloved ice cream (UBER SAD FACE) but I finally found a brand that tastes good and is dairy free! like real ice cream! They are "mini" which is really stupid because now I just feel like I can eat MORE because they are small.

But trust me, if you cant do dairy but miss ice cream give these bad boys a try. They taste JUST LIKE an ice cream sandwich! SO GOOOOOD! Nom! Nom! Nom!

Being Thankful: An Enlightening Dinner

Admittedly this is a re post from a previous blog I had...but I wanted to share this with you all. It was a favorite post of mine from my trip to Bali nearly three years ago. A memory of an enlightening dinner that I am so grateful for...

The  gardener at the villa invited us over for dinner tonight. His wife cooked us a feast full of traditional Balinese food and every single bite was to die for! Their house is a very traditional in that there is a separate building for each aspect of their lives: sleeping, eating, cooking and praying. Madei is an amazing gardener and his open air courtyard was full of water lilies, orchids, frangipani trees and elk horn ferns. Beautiful stone mosaic patterns adorn the walkways and there are intricate wood carvings around all the doors.

Even better then the food and beautiful home was the conversation. Balinese people care very deeply and conversations can be much more intimate then what we are used to in the West. It is common to be asked within the first ten minutes where are you from, where do you live, who are your parents, are you married, do you have babies, why don't you have babies????? We discussed war, terrorism, politics and religion that evening and Madei wowed us all with his simple yet highly profound statements such as:


On racism:
"I do not know why racism? We all different color skin yes, but all of us have same color on our palms. All creamy white no matter if African or Chinese or Balinese. So if we all have same hands, we aren't so different you and I."

On God and race:
"God made all the flowers different colors just like us, so that we are beautiful to look at. Just like fish in an aquarium, the world would be boring is all sama sama (same same)"

On the peace of Bali compared to other parts of Indonesia:
"Indonesia has war because they put religion on top of politics. Here in Bali we have peace because we put religion on top of art and beauty"

All I wanted to do was hold out a tape recorder and forever capture his thoughts as they came out of his head....such a humble happy soul.

Family is so important here and is the basis of a persons identity. In the mornings all the mommies in the neighborhood proudly bring their babies over to the villa to say hello to Patti and girl children are as loved as boys.

Bali is pure MAGIC!

Thankful Thursday: Naps in Mommies Bed

Claire and I have a new afternoon tradition. We get down to our skivvies, crawl into bed together, and she nurses until we both fall asleep. We wake up all curled into one another, breathing each others breath, happy as two little piggies. I love these precious moments. She slowly starts squirming as she wakes, looking around, sees my face so close to hers and breaks out in a HUGE grin! Then the baby talk begins and she coo's away, telling me all about what she dreamt during our epic nap. So sweet, so simple. I love it

What are you grateful for this week?
I'm joining this weekly link up xo join the fun!

Thankful Thursday: Long Hot Showers, A Mother's Best Friend

 Because gratitude is the best attitude...

I tell yah, when you become a parent your favorite thing in the whole world quickly becomes a long, hot, uninterrupted shower. I dream of them. Crave them. They make me feel whole again. Especially after my c-section, when the recovery was so brutal and I felt so awful....a hot shower made me feel human again. Claire is always cleaner then me and often dressed better then me. I wear yoga gear 9 times out of ten and always have spit up on my shirt. But give me a hot shower and I could take over the world! It is my ME TIME. No baby, no stress, no housework. Just me and some relaxing hot water. You become grateful for such simple things after having a child.

Tell me, what are you thankful for this week?

As always, I am linking up with the fabulous blog hop over on Maxabella Loves today! Join in on the fun, it's a wonderful group of bloggers!

Thankful Thursday: A Clean and Tidy House

When baby Claire is crying, and my back is hurting, and I haven't slept properly in days....at least my house is clean. It is a simple thing really, but when Claire and I are at our worst it makes everything so much better having a calm, clean and orderly house. Its not spic and spam by any means, I wouldn't eat off the floor or anything. And I am a fan of creative clutter. But everything is in its place. The dishes are always done, and the laundry folded and away. This brings me such peace. It feels good to have a tidy home. I love the lines my vacuum cleaner leaves behind on the carpets, the smell of freshly burning incense, the look of neatly folded granny blankets on the arms of the couch, ready for a cuddle. I love my home, it brings me such joy and peace! I am linking up with this awesome grateful blog hop, check it out if you blog too! xo

Thankful Thursday: To All The Dad's

source

 Today's Thankful Thursday goes out to all the Dad's....

• to the Dad's that go to work so we can stay home and raise our children, thank you
• to the Dad's that stay home so we can go back to work, thank you
• to the Dad's that take on all the diaper woes since we have the breastfeeding woes, thank you
• to the Dad's that cook/or help us cook nutritious meals so we can be full and happy for baby, thank you
• to the Dad's that love, sway, swing, rock, and cuddle their newborn babes, thank you
• to the Dad's that are strong role models for our children, teaching them what a real man  is, thank you
• to the Dad's that take on more responsibility around the house, without having to be told, just to make it easier on us mom's, thank you
• to the Dad's that crack a beer and share war stories with fellow new Dad's, thank you

But most of all, thank you to this Dad. For making every day a little bit brighter, a little bit more manageable, and FULL of love. This week was Ryan's first business trip away from Claire and I and I miss him terribly. I can't wait till he is home and we can have a big family hug

PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

Thankful Thursday: Silly Faces

Because Gratitude is the Best Attitude...

Things have been a little cray on our end these days. I admit I have WAY to much on my plate: 

• Ive been hired to design a website for a local business
• I'm organizing a Bridal Shower for one of my best friends
• also organizing a craft night for the same wedding
• maintaining this blog
• working on a new logo/name for my Etsy shop
• keeping the house clean and tidy
• trying to excercise everyday to loose the baby weight
• Oh yah and did I mention I HAVE A 2 MONTH OLD?! And she will not nap more then 20 minutes a time currently???

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh Kami. Give it a rest already!  Sometimes I just have to stop all of the hussle and bussle and laugh. Laugh at my darling girls silly little face. So this week I am thankful for Claire and her funny faces and funny coo's.

It wont always be about babies and Claire....I will get back to the crafty goodness soon I promise. Thank you for reading, thank you for leaving your loving comments, and thank you for being you!

Thankful Thursday

 Because Gratitude is the Best Attitude...

It's time once again to pause and appreciate the little things in life, the simple things that make life beautiful. What are you thankful for kittens? This week I am thankful for:

• the dark rich brown color of freshly turned dirt in my garden, waiting for fresh planted herbs
• Lil Ms Claire has started sleeping for 4 hour stretches at night, HOORAY!
• freshly died hot pink hair that makes me feel like a funky mamma! Ill post pictures soon, I promise!
• the children's section at the public library. A quiet place to nurse Claire, meet other moms and get great baby development books
• gifts in the mail! This week I received a lovely package from Maryam of Pamplemousse1983 full of treats for Claire and I. Will do a "mail day" post soon, I just love snail mail don't you?
• breastfeeding Claire outside by the pool in our lovely garden, listening to the birds chirp

Life truly is beautiful, if you stop to smell the roses 

every once in awhile!

PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

Thankful Thursday

50 pounds. That is how much weight I put on with this pregnancy. 50 whopping pounds. Yeeeeesh! Nothing fits, I feel like a 20 tonne turkey stuffed into a smelly, dirty sock. UGH. Since Saturday was my birthday the hubz took me shopping for pants. Pants that fit my ginormous hips to be exact. We went to Lululemon thinking yoga pants were an obvious fix. Well, they are when they aren't designed for skinny stick girls and $80-90 a pair. The teeny bopper trying to sell me on a pair that were clearly not flattering and giving me major camel toe obviously could not relate to my post baby fat issues, let alone the pain of recovering from a c-section (my scar still hurts with certain cuts of pants). So in tears, and with a crying Claire (I swear she soaks up my moods like a sponge) we leave to look for other alternatives. Enter cheapo knock off Lululemon store. Where everything fit! And was cheap! And the store was dead so I could stand in front of the mirror without cringing. YIPPY! I got 4 pairs of pants and a hoody for the cost of two Lululemon pants. YES! So today's Thankful Thursday post is a very simple one:

THANK GOD FOR PANTS THAT FIT!

Thankful Thursday: The Simple Things In Life

Having a child makes you so very thankful for all of the simple things in life. This week I am thankful for:
 

• the dappled sunshine that filters through the tree leaves and dances on Claire's face

• a fresh and delicious Spanish/Italian inspired breakfast shared with my hubz while Claire naps soundly in her playpen

• the sound of my 13 year old cats purr as she curls up near Claire for a nap, protecting her in her sleep

• discovering that the premie onsie Claire once wore no longer fits her, yay to chubby cheeks

• quite time spent breastfeeding Claire, stroking her head, and gazing into her eyes as Poppa reads her a story

• family dinners with Claire, the hubz and his parents as we cheer on the 'Nucks and eat BBQ summertime burgers

• those precious moments when I can steal away for a long, hot, lingering shower knowing Claire is being cared for 

• the fact that tomorrow my baby girl will be 1 month old! I can't believe it!

Tell me kittens, what are YOU thankful for?

Hello and hugs to all of you stopping by from the link-up over on Maxabella Loves, thanks for visiting!

PS:The numbers have all been reset! It's time to vote again! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

Thankful Thursday: FOOD

I love food, like seriously I LOVE FOOD. I dream of food, food is my new sex. I live for my next meal. It is ridiculous how much I love food. But of course I am also breastfeeding, so every bite that goes into me just comes right out as milk for Claire. I swear to you there are days when I can feel her sucking me dry! Did you know you burn an extra 800-1200 calories just by breastfeeding??? This means you can eat all you want, and know its going to good use! After a pregnancy where I gained 50 pounds and had to watch what I eat, being able to stuff my face and not see the scale go up is AWESOME! So on that note, today's Thankful Thursday post is all about food! I am thankful for:

• a fridge jam packed full of pre-cooked meals
• pastries....I craved them while the bug was in me. Remember my fear I was going to give birth to a puff pastry? Well I still crave them! And I swear it is what has helped her get back up to her birth weight! Mmmmmmmmmm pastries....mmmmmmmm
• carrot muffins with walnuts inside
• Happy Planet Extreme Green Juice, yummy and full of iron for Claire and I. Plus its a funky green color so I love the looks I get when I drink it
• my husband has cooked me healthy and delicious meals every day, even though he is running on 4-5 hours of sleep as well on top of working from home to boot. My breast milk is only coming in strong because he is keeping me so well fed! And loved :)

What's for dinner tonight? Bread Pudding, braised orange/lemon carrots, pan seared chicken and steamed rainbow chard

• and lastly, I am thankful for Guiness. I only have one, and sip it slowly after Claire has had a good long feed that I know will last her a couple hours. But that one pint of Guiness taste like heaven and makes mommy happy! Especially when she can drink it while she cheers on the Canucks as they play for the Stanley Cup, GO CANUCKS GO!!!!

What are you thankful for this week kittens? Do share!!

PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

Thankful Thursday: Thank God for Nurses

Because Gratitude is the best attitude...

I have so much to be thankful for this week! A healthy baby, a loving family, and an AMAZINGLY supportive husband. I am truly grateful and blessed. But today I want to share my gratitude with you for NURSES. In particular the nurses of the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit were my Claire Bear spent her first 4 days of life. They work long, hard, tiring 12 hour shifts caring for all of the babies that need a little bit of extra love. They loved her, consoled her, and cared for her when I was recovering from surgery. They taught me how to breastfeed and handle my baby once I was able to get in a wheelchair and down to visit her. They are guardian angels looking over the babes in the nursery as they sleep, and I rested well knowing that my Claire Bear was being well taken care of until she was strong enough to come home with us. So if you know a nurse, HUG HER/HIM! Thank them for all of the hard work and long hours....Doctors are amazing too...but it is nurses that make the hospitals run and thrive. Thank God for nurses.

What are YOU thankful for kittens?

Thankfull Thursday

Today is another one of those days where I really have to force myself to write this...not that I am in such a horrible place, but I do have a lot on my mind. And it is distracting to say the least. As many of your know from reading here I am still playing doge ball with my placenta. It is very low, classified as too low to birth vaginally and I have since been referred out to an OBGYN for their opinion on the matter. I meet with them later today and will no more info going forwards from there. At any rate it is looking more and more like a scheduled c-section for the bug and I...especially since I am still spotting. It is worrying to say the least, any form of spotting during pregnancy. Especially when it means I may have to have a c-section earlier then I would like and Ryan is still traveling for work. So here I am, trying to focus on the bright side and look at the little things I have to be thankful for amidst all of this stress and confusion:

• getting the bugs welcome home outfit together, seeing it laid out and all matchy matchy and cute made my heart happy
• sharing a pot of tea with my midwife during the home visit, I am so grateful that I chose to use a team of midwives and for all of the support they have given me
• being on mat leave early. I was criticised by some for starting my mat leave 4 weeks early but given all that is going on right now it would appear as if I knew just what my body was going to need. I couldn't imagine having to work through all of this. I am so unbelievably tired these days and the spotting is really nagging on my brain
• having the time to craft again. it has served as a welcome distraction and I missed keeping my hands busy

So that's it. My tiny but powerful list of things to be grateful for. Tell me kittens, what are your grateful for this week?

Vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

Thankful Thursday

• I am grateful for my silly husband who can make something as simple as a trip to Ikea into a grand adventure. He never fails to make me laugh and as I waddled behind him through the isles, watching him perform his best Ikea Kart Ballet for me I could just hear my little bugs voice in my ear...."Hehehehehe! Mamma, Pappa is so silly!" It melted my heart and in that moment I felt so full of love and joy. 
• and thanks to the above Ikea trip the bugs room is now really coming together! Curtains, shelving units, dresser, and a diaper change station. There is still lots of work to do but it feels like a nursery now, not just a corner of the house we plunked some baby stuff in. Every time I walk into that room my heart swells and I get an excited fluttery feeling!
• I am VERY thankful that I live in Canada and am able to not only start my Mat leave a month early, but also take a FULL YEAR of maternity leave. THANK YOU CANADA! Only two more days of work, including today, and then I am free to nest, rest, and putter until my bug gets here. SO EXCITED!
• I am also grateful for my two best girlfriends and my mother-in-law who threw me the most fantabulous Baby Shower ever on the weekend! It was a lot of fun and I promise to do a post dedicated to just that very topic soon...Im just waiting for some pictures!

PS: Don't forget to enter the Virtual Baby Pool to enter for a chance to win 8 PRIZES just by guessing the weight/date/sex of my baby due June 4th.

A big hello to anyone stopping by from the lovely Ms Maxabella Loves! xo

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